Greenwood shines again as Marseille survive Belgian UCL showdown

Olympique Marseille needed nerves of steel - and maybe a touch of luck - to escape Brussels with a massive 3-2 win over Union Saint-Gilloise in one of the most chaotic Champions League nights of the season.

Union came out flying. After only five minutes, Khalaili burned down the right side, cut inside, and smashed a rocket past Rulli to ignite the stadium and expose the risks of Roberto De Zerbi's attacking setup. The Belgian champions kept tearing down that flank, and for a moment it looked like OM were heading for a long and painful night.

But De Zerbi's team refuses to change its nature. Possession, combinations, and relentless passing - and soon, it paid off. Paixao finished off his own action, following up on a loose ball after Sherpen spilled Aubameyang's shot. Suddenly OM were alive, and Union couldn't get near the ball.

Just before halftime, Marseille struck again. Greenwood sliced through Union's defense, played a slick one-two with Auba, and slid the ball under the keeper. From trailing early to leading 2-1, OM went into the break buzzing.

And five minutes into the second half, they hit Union again. A long pass from O'Riley sent Greenwood racing in behind; one feint, one crack into the bottom corner, 3-1, and the Englishman's second of the night. De Zerbi's attacking trio of Greenwood, Paixao, and Aubameyang has now scored 11 of OM's 12 Champions League goals. Terrifying.

But Union don't die quietly. With David and Boufal coming off the bench, the hosts went all-in with two pure strikers and turned the final half hour into a siege. Khalaili got another one to make it 3-2, and then the drama exploded.

Twice Union thought they had equalized. Twice VAR cut their celebrations short by millimeters: first Mac Allister, then David again in the 89th minute. The fans couldn't believe it. And just when Union had one last golden chance in stoppage time, Rulli made a spectacular save to deny David and preserve OM's escape.

Marseille leave Belgium battered, breathless, but victorious - and now sit in a strong position to reach the knockout stage. Liverpool come to the Velodrome next, and if De Zerbi's football keeps trending upward, OM might be cooking something far bigger than a simple group-stage run.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Matchday 6

Tuesday

Kairat Almaty - Olympiacos 0-1 (0-0)

/Martins 73/

Bayern Munich - Sporting Lisbon 3-1 (0-0)

/Gnabry 65, Karl 69, Tah 77 - Kimmich 54 (og)/

Atalanta - Chelsea 2-1 (0-1)

/Scamacca 55, De Ketelaere 83 - Pedro 25/

Barcelona - Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 (0-1)

/Knauff 21, Kounde 50, 53/

Inter Milan - Liverpool 0-1 (0-0)

/Szoboszlai 88 pen/

Monaco - Galatasaray 1-0 (0-0)

/Balogun 68/

PSV Eindhoven - Atletico Madrid 2-3 (1-1)

/Til 10, Pepi 85 - Alvarez 37, Hancko 52, Sorloth 56/

St. Gilloise - Olympique Marseille 2-3 (1-2)

/Khalaili 5, 71 - Paixao 15, Greenwood 41, 58/

Tottenham - Slavia Prague 3-0 (1-0)

/Zima 26 og, Kudus 50 pen, Simons 79 pen/

Wednesday

20.45: (2.00) Qarabag (3.60) Ajax (4.00)

20.45: (1.45) Villarreal (4.50) Copenhagen (7.00)

23.00: (5.80) Athletic Bilbao (3.80) PSG (1.62)

23.00: (2.40) Benfica (3.40) Napoli (3.20)

23.00: (10.0) Club Brugge (5.20) Arsenal (1.37)

23.00: (1.28) Borussia Dortmund (6.00) Bodo/Glimt (9.50)

23.00: (1.18) Juventus (7.25) Pafos (15.0)

23.00: (3.10) Bayer Leverkusen (3.50) Newcastle (2.40)

23.00: (2.55) Real Madrid (3.85) Manchester City (2.65)

***odds are subject to change***